Of Gods and Earth
by DonDurkofDowdee
Summary: Elsa is kidnapped and taken to the realm of the gods where mortals are used as pawns to gain power and settle disputes. Elsa/male OC.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own any Frozen characters.

Note: Trying to get back into the writing habit. Bear with me.

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

Elsa was woken by the sound of alarm bells. Disoriented, she stumbled from her bed and darted her eyes around her room. A gentle breeze blew in through the open balcony doors, stirring the curtains. She checked the clock on the wall. It was three in the morning. The sun should not have been rising so soon, and yet a warm orange glow filtered in through the windows.

Elsa grabbed her robe from the foot of her bed and donned it over her nightgown, tying the belt at her waist. She jogged to the balcony doors to have a look outside. What she saw made her gasp.

Arendelle was burning. Beyond the castle walls, rows upon rows of city buildings were completely engulfed in flames. The flames licked high and clouds of embers floated up into the night sky. Alarm bells continued to ring furiously. Down in the courtyard she could hear people shouting.

For a moment Elsa couldn't breathe, couldn't move. Was this a nightmare? She pressed her thumb into her palm, something she had done since she was little to test if she was dreaming. In her dreams, her thumb always passed through her palm. This time her thumb did not pass through.

Someone banged on her bedroom door.

"Queen Elsa!"

It was a guard. He pounded twice more and then threw the door open. Elsa turned and looked at him.

"Eldric," she said, because she could think of nothing else to say. Eldric was her guard captain. He was tall and barrel chested, perhaps sixty years of age with a head full of thick silver hair. He had been managing castle security longer than Elsa had been alive.

Eldric rushed across the room to stand at Elsa's side. He extended his arm behind her as though to usher her to the door.

"We must leave now," he said. "The castle is already being evacuated and fire squads have been deployed where we could get them."

Elsa nodded. "Where is Princess Anna?"

"The Princess and her husband are being evacuated with the others." Eldric moved his arm closer to Elsa's back, now hovering mere centimeters away from touching her.

Elsa stepped away from him.

"Continue the evacuations," she said. "I will deal with the fires." She turned to walk out onto the balcony but was stopped by Eldric's grip on her arm.

"No," Eldric snapped. "It's too dangerous."

Elsa cast a cool look at Eldric's hand on her arm, then met his eyes. She understood his predicament. The whole of his duties revolved around keeping her safe. But the whole of Elsa's duties revolved around keeping Arendelle safe. She was not going to run to safety while her people struggled for their lives.

Eldric's resolve waivered under Elsa's gaze. He released her arm and stepped back.

"Continue the evacuations," Elsa repeated. She stepped out onto the balcony and surveyed the area. The city was lit up from end to end. The flames reflected on the waters of the fjord. There wasn't much time, only minutes if even that.

Elsa raised her arms and summoned a swirling gust of wind that carried her up and out over the courtyard, over the castle walls, and out over the city. Below her she could see people running through the streets. Several buildings had already collapsed and trapped people beneath piles of burning debris. Screams echoed from everywhere.

Elsa took a deep breath. She was the Snow Queen. She had once created an eternal winter everywhere without even trying. If she could do that she could snuff these fires.

"Come on, Elsa," she whispered. She raised her arms over her head and swept them in a slow circling motion. The wind began to pick up, causing flames to flicker and whip. The temperature began to drop.

Elsa receded the wind keeping her aloft so that she could focus all of her powers on growing her storm. She landed in the middle of the main road. To her left and right rose walls of fire. She closed her eyes and kept her arms held out. A voice somewhere behind her called her name. She ignored it.

It was snowing now and the wind had gained considerable strength. Did she need more wind or more snow or more of both? Too much wind might cause the fire to spread to the surrounding forests. She focused her magic on snow. She needed thick snow. Heavy snow. Blinding snow.

People began to gather in a circle around her. Some tried to creep close to her but the frosty aura produced by her powers kept them away. They huddled together. Some knelt on the ground and prayed with their hands clasped tight. They were all dressed in their bed clothes. A few bore horrible burns.

"Help us, Queen Elsa," said one man, his breath fogging. Elsa glanced and saw he was holding a girl in his arms. The child was unconscious and had been badly burned.

"She is, idiot," snapped an old woman. "She's putting out these fires and then she's gonna spear the ones responsible. Woe to the bastards what brought fire to the land of the Snow Queen!"

The temperature had dropped to arctic degrees. Frost crept out from under Elsa's bare feet. It crept into the tiny cracks of the road and split the stones. Snow fell in heavy white sheets and began to accumulate layers on the ground. A few minutes on and Elsa did not see any change in the size or strength of the fires.

"Th-the storm isn't w-working," a young woman stuttered. She was wrapped in a blanket that had been partially burned away. Her lips were blue and a small icicle had formed at the tip of her nose.

 _Impossible._

The fire would melt the snow at first, but the magnitude of the blizzard should have eventually subdued the flames. Elsa closed her eyes and dug to the depths of her strength. The roof of the building to her right caved in with a great cracking and crunching. People cried out and moved to avoid falling debris.

Elsa stood her ground. Beyond the ringing of the alarm bells she heard someone call her name again. She continued to ignore the voice. She could feel her energy beginning to wane and could not risk breaking her concentration. If she stopped the blizzard now, she would not be able to create another one. She clenched her teeth. Her shoulders began to shake. Her arms felt as though they were weighted with sandbags. The blizzard whipped her hair wildly about her face.

"Queen Elsa," a man shouted right behind her now.

"Just run," Elsa shouted back. She kept her eyes shut tight to keep her focus on the storm. "Get out of the city!"

Her legs started to buckle. She re planted her feet and straightened her back. She could maintain. Just a few more minutes and she was sure the fires would die out.

A hand on her shoulder brought everything to an end. Her concentration broke and with it the winds died and the falling snow evaporated. Elsa collapsed with a guttural scream.

"No! What are you doing?" she cried. She struggled to get back on her feet but her entire body felt as though it were made of jelly. Her vision was blurred and there was a loud ringing in her ears.

Hands gripped under her arms and hoisted her up. Elsa whirled to face the one who had broken her focus, her blue eyes icey with rage.

The man was tall and thin and had grey skin like a storm cloud. His face was long and somber. He looked to be in his forties. He wore fine clothes and a black velvet cloak lined with white fur.

"You cannot douse these flames, Snow Queen," he said.

"What do you mean?" Elsa said, panting. "Who are you?" She ran a hand back through her hair to get it out of her face. She was still in a weakened state and struggled to hold herself upright.

"My name is Ingo and I mean exactly what I say," he replied. "These fires were set by demons and you will not be able to put them out. If you want to save your city, you must run."

Ingo whistled and a large horse, blacker than the night sky, came trotting up behind him. The horse nickered and shook its head.

Elsa looked at the horse and then back at the man. The people around them were watching the exchange carefully.

"I'm not going anywhere," she said. "I don't believe in demons and I don't believe in wasting time with useless conversations while my city gets destroyed!"

The man narrowed his eyes. He opened his mouth to say something but just then a bright green light flashed up in the sky.

Elsa looked up. High above them, a glowing green vortex had yawned open. The vortex warped and warbled and then suddenly a large figure emerged from it- a rider on a dark horse. Another rider emerged, and then another and another. An entire squad charged from the portal and arranged themselves in a V formation, circling above the city like vultures. The riders were heavily clad in dark suits of armor. They were all equipped with swords and battle axes, and each one carried a glowing green coil of rope at his waist.

Ingo grabbed Elsa and guided her to the horse.

"The reapers are here," he said. "If you care anything for Arendelle and your family, you will leave now. You must!"

Elsa grabbed the horse's mane with the reins, still hesitant to pull herself up. Seeing her hesitation, Ingo placed a hand on her shoulder.

"It's not Arendelle they want," he said. "It's you. Arendelle will burn and then it will be rebuilt, but not if you are here. You must run fast and run far. There is no time to explain everything but you must trust me. Take this." He produced a small leather pouch from his cloak and pushed it into her hand. "You will find it useful."

Elsa pulled herself up into the horse's saddle. This all felt very wrong. She had no idea what was going on or who this Ingo man was. She looked around at the people surrounding them. She was their queen. They looked to her for answers.

The man with the burned girl in his arms stepped forward.

"Queen Elsa," he said. "What are we to do? Where are you going?"

"Please help us!" another woman cried.

A war horn sounded out long and low. A reaper landed down the street before them. He was enormous, at least twelve feet tall not including the height of his horse. He looked as though he had crawled from the tomb of an ancient viking warrior. His black helmet was decorated with a crown of spires. Behind the helmet's nose guard where his face should have been was nothing but a dark void. The reaper's horse was skeletal with ragged flaps of skin clinging to its bones. The horse reared and the reaper sounded his war horn again.

Ingo took position in the road between the reaper and Elsa.

"I will hold this one off," he said. "Don't worry about your people, young queen. The reapers don't care for them. Now go!"

Elsa turned her horse around and looked at the townsfolk.

"I will return," she said. "I promise I will return!"

She dug her heels into the horse's sides. The crowd parted and she galloped off through them.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own any Frozen characters.

* * *

 **Chapter 2**

Elsa rode hard through the burning streets. She was still weak from her exertion on the blizzard and slouched forward in the saddle. Every turn produced people calling after her, raising their hands to try and get her attention, all crying for help. Elsa wanted to stop but every time she looked behind her she could see a reaper closing in. She knew there were at least a dozen of them, all looking like ancient warriors that had risen from the dead.

After a series of twists and turns through narrow roads and back alleys, Elsa escaped through the city gates. Out on the main road she summoned the strength to raise up in the saddle. She pushed her horse to its limits, her bare feet pressing tight into the leather stirrups. The pouch that Ingo had given her was still clutched in her hand. She struggled to tuck it into the inner pocket of her robe.

The road up ahead split into three paths- one to the port, one to the neighboring town of Hersted, and one to the depths of the forest. She chose the path into the forest. The trees grew tall and thick here. Hardly any moonlight shone through the canopy. It was a warm summer night and the forest was silent except for the furious pounding of her horse's hooves. Elsa didn't know what she was going to do. She didn't even know what she was running from. Could these reapers be harmed?

The war horn sounded. Elsa looked behind her. Through the darkness she could see large black shadows weaving in and out of the trees, each one punctuated with a glowing green coil. Supposing she did manage to escape the reapers, what was to prevent them from going right back to Arendelle? No, she needed to deal with them. She didn't care what that Ingo man had said. Running away wasn't going to solve anything.

Gripping the saddle horn with one hand, she raised her other hand over her head and materialized a long spear of ice. As the spear grew she felt her energy drain. She aimed the spear and then with a flick of her wrist sent it hurling towards one of the shadows. It missed by several yards and shattered into a tree.

 _Dammit._

She tried again and missed. It was too dark and she was too weak to aim properly.

Suddenly her horse snorted and came to a sliding stop. It reared, turning away from the path. Elsa was nearly thrown but she gripped the horse's mane and held herself close.

"Easy, boy," she said. She looked down the road to see what had spooked him. At first there was nothing, but then she saw the shadows shift.

A reaper emerged from the darkness like a monster out of black water. He was truly enormous. The horns of his helmet curved down. Like the other reapers, there was nothing to his face but a black void. The pauldrons of his armor were lined with craggy spikes, as were his black lobstered gauntlets. His horse's reins were chains and they jangled softly when the horse moved. Two more reapers emerged at his flanks.

The reapers that had been chasing Elsa brought up the rear and in moment Elsa found herself surrounded. The reaper with the horned helmet reached for the green coil of chain at his hip. The other reapers followed suit.

 _Lassos_.

Elsa turned her horse about searching for a possible escape through the circle. The horned reaper threw his lasso. Elsa deflected it with a quick dart of ice. She thrust her hands down and shot icy blasts against the earth. Already scraping the bottom of her energy reserves, the exertion left her dizzy and she slumped forward in the saddle. From the ice patches, two large snow golems unfurled themselves. They were armed with thick ice shields in their chests and long ice claws.

The golems immediately began attacking the reapers closest to them. The distraction gave Elsa half a heart beat's respite, just long enough for her to form another spear of ice and send it sailing straight into the face of the horned reaper. The reaper was knocked from his horse and fell to the ground with a tortured cry.

Elsa saw her chance.

"Go, go!" She kicked her horse and trampled over the wounded reaper. She was too weak to hold herself upright now, too weak to even hold the reins. She clutched the horse's mane and prayed that her feet in the stirrups would be enough to keep her balanced.

The horse veered from the road and headed straight through the forest, weaving through the trees. Branches whipped at Elsa's face and snagged her robe. Behind her rose a collection of angry howls. At least she knew now that the reapers could be injured, possibly even killed. It gave her a bit of hope. All she had to do was keep away from them and try to pick them off one at a time. She would have to pace herself.

She was still formulating a plan of action when her horse stumbled. He screamed and Elsa was thrown from the saddle. She landed hard and rolled across the thick grass until she hit the base of a tree. Groaning, she lifted onto her elbows and looked up to see what had happened. The horse was on his side, thrashing wildly. Wrapped around his hind leg was a glowing lasso. The lasso pulled taut and the horse was dragged back into the darkness.

Elsa growled in frustration, feeling more rage at her weakness than at the reapers. She grasped at the tree and hauled herself up on shaky legs.

"What do you want from me," she shouted. "What is it you want?"

She rolled off of the tree and continued to stumble her way through the forest. Shadows moved around her again. She managed to reach a small clearing where the moonlight gave her a better view of her surroundings.

A reaper emerged from the trees before her. This one had the spired helmet, the one who had sounded the war horn. His lasso was already in his hands. He spun it once and loosed it upon her. Elsa dodged it, but then there was another one, and another. One of the lassos landed around her neck and tightened before she could tear it off. She grabbed it with both hands and pulled. Another lasso circled her waist and pulled her back. She fell and did not have the strength to get up again.

The reaper with the war horn approached and grabbed her legs to wrap his chain around them. He then turned Elsa face down and tied her arms at her back. Elsa could still move her hands. She tried to grab the binds and use her powers to freeze them off, but nothing came from her touch. She opened her hand and tried to spawn another snow golem. Nothing happened, not even a spark of frost. There must have been something about the lassos that negated her powers.

The reaper gagged Elsa with a rag and then covered her head with sack. He grabbed the chains around her waist and lifted her like a suitcase. He carried her to his horse and saddled up, settling her across his lap. Elsa did her best to stay calm. If they were just going to kill her they would have done it. She bit down on the rag in her mouth. It was filthy and tasted like dirt.

 _Stay calm._

She felt the reaper knee his horse and they set off. Elsa focused on keeping her fear in check.

 _Just stay calm._


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own any Frozen characters

* * *

Chapter 3

Elsa could not see anything through the bag over her head. She was laid across the reaper's lap and the reaper kept one hand rested on her back. She could feel the weight of his gauntlet pressing down. Wherever they were, it was cold and windy. She did not know exactly how they were traveling but it was not on the ground. The horse's hooves made no sound and she was not being jostled by their impacts against the earth. It felt more like they were swimming through an ocean of air. The ride was surprisingly smooth. They traveled for a long time, long enough for Elsa's thoughts to calm down.

As she laid there, Elsa periodically tested her bonds. Enough of her energy had returned that she should have been able to freeze them off, but her theory about the chains negating her powers appeared to be correct.

Her thoughts turned to Arendelle. The reapers had her, so had they all left Arendelle? She hoped Ingo, whoever he was, had been right about that. She hoped also that Eldric had gotten Anna to safety.

 _Anna._

Shame gripped Elsa suddenly. She had not gotten the chance to speak to her sister since all of this had happened. Supposing Anna had made it to safety, what would she come to learn about Elsa? People would tell her what they had seen. They would say that the queen had fled on horseback and left her people to burn. They would tell Anna the stories about how they had called out to Queen Elsa for help but she had ignored them and run away scared. For years they would remember the time that Queen Elsa, the supposedly great and powerful Snow Queen, had failed to put out the Great Fire and then fled shamefully into the night. There were a few other circumstances, but those were the ones people would remember.

Elsa's face grew hot. She was growing upset and that was something she could not afford to do right now. She forced her thoughts away from Anna and Arendelle and focused on her present situation.

The reaper slowed his horse. They had arrived somewhere. The horse landed and Elsa grunted from the sudden stop. She lifted her head as much as she could. Through the sack she could see a faint glow of light.

The reaper grabbed the chains at Elsa's back and lifted her up as he dismounted. His armor made a sturdy clank when he landed.

Elsa could not see much of anything so she used her other senses to try and figure out where she was being taken. The air was cool here. They were outside and it was raining. As the reaper walked she listened to the sound of his boots. The ground was soft dirt, and then it changed to stone. Now they were inside someplace. The reaper's footsteps echoed and Elsa was no longer getting rained on.

The reaper walked on and on. The chains dug into Elsa's skin. She tried to adjust to alleviate the pressure but it was no use. This area was well lit. As best as Elsa could tell, they were in an enormous hall lined with equally enormous torches.

After a while, the reaper stopped. He spoke. His voice was a beastly growl from the depths of a cave. The words wormed into Elsa's head and made her grimace. A thousand years of suffering laced the unearthly sounds and she wished she could plug her ears.

"Reaper," a deep voice filled the hall. "You've returned."

Through the sack Elsa saw a great motion. Something large, even larger than the reaper, shifted and rose up.

The reaper replied something dark and ghastly. He held Elsa aloft.

"Snow Queen," he snarled and ripped the sack from Elsa's head.

They were in what looked like a vast stone temple, larger than any Elsa had ever. All around the walls were thick stone columns the size of mountains. The temple was so vast that the closest column was probably three miles away. Straight ahead was a set of doors so tall they could have reached straight into the sky. The doors were solid black and decorated with an ornate relief of what looked like a field of skeletons being tormented by monsters.

Standing in front of the door was a giant. He was fat and ugly with a pig's snout and fat jowls hanging low. His snout was pierced with a thick gold ring. He wore a leather kilt and leather pauldrons. His fat gut hung over his belt. Attached to the belt was a large leather pouch. He was armed with a halberd that he held in his right hand.

Elsa bit down on the gag in her mouth. As much as she wanted to, she would not scream.

The pig giant approached. He set his halberd down and got down on his hands and knees to lean in close. Gazing into one of his nostrils was like peering into a cave. His gold snout ring must have weight several tons. He snorted and the hot gust nearly knocked Elsa from the reaper's grip.

"She don't look no Snow Queen," said the pig giant. He leaned away and got back to his feet like a mountain rising from the earth. "Show me," he said.

The reaper undid Elsa's chains and dropped her. Elsa got up and tore the gag from her mouth, spitting the awful taste. She craned her neck to look up at the giant.

"Who are you?" she asked. She stood straight with her chin up and shoulders back. She fisted her hands at her sides to keep them from shaking. "Where am I and why have I been brought here?"

The reaper drew his sword and prodded Elsa's back. Elsa moved away from him.

The pig giant laughed. "Reaper has brought the Question Queen."

The reaper spat something that Elsa could only assume was a curse. He shoved Elsa to the ground and swung his sword towards her head. Elsa raised her hands to defend herself and with the motion rose a thick wall of ice between them. The reaper's sword cut down into the block. Elsa scrambled back to her feet and glared at the reaper. The pig giant wanted to see the Snow Queen? She would show him.

She put her hands together palms out and blasted the reaper with a stream of frost. The reaper raised his arm to shield his face. The frost encased his gauntlet and froze the sword into his grip. He raised the sword over his head and came at Elsa. Elsa backed away and aimed for his feet. She blasted one of his boots. The boot frosted over and then coils of ice formed like snakes up the reaper's leg, halting his advance.

In both of her hands Elsa formed long ice spears and threw them at the reaper. The reaper's leg was planted but he twisted his body so that the ice spears shattered on his back.

"Fine," Elsa said. "Maybe I'll just crush you instead." She raised her arms and formed a large block of ice over the reaper's head. The reaper struggled to move but the ice around his leg held firm. He reached up and hacked at the bottom of the block with his sword.

"Enough," bellowed the pig giant. "She is Snow Queen." He reached down and flicked Elsa's ice block away from the reaper. Elsa turned to run but the reaper moved quickly, snatching his lasso with his free hand and catching Elsa around the waist with it. The ice on his hand and leg melted away. He struggled to pull Elsa back in and secure the lasso back around her arms and legs.

The giant opened his leather pouch and pulled out something wrapped in a silky white cloth. He knelt down and held the item out in his palm. The reaper took the item and clutched it to his chest. He bowed low, then turned on his heel and walked away down the impossibly long hall.

The giant reached down and grabbed Elsa gently in his hand. He raised her up in front of his face.

"Answer my questions," Elsa said, meeting the pig's eyes over his snout. His meaty hand encased her up to her shoulders. His palm was sweaty and smelled like it had been scratching his ass quite recently.

"Ulfu does not answer to mortals," the giant snorted.

He turned and carried Elsa towards the giant black doors. Elsa's heart began to race. She wasn't sure if it was her imagination but as she observed the carvings on the doors it looked like the skeletons and the monsters had come to life and were moving about. The skeletons writhed and the monsters moved about them joyfully.

"We're not going in there, are we?" Elsa did not expect to get an answer but she could not stop herself from asking.

Ulfu chuckled. "That's not for you."

Off to the side of the door was a narrow corridor. Ulfu had to turn sideways to squeeze down it. At the end was a small room, or rather it was small for Ulfu. He had to hunch down in order to fit. The room looked like a storage area. It was filled with old broken weapons and armor. In the corner was something that looked like a mess kit- a big wooden bowl filled with bones and a stein full of some kind of drink.

Ulfu rummaged through the great piles of stuff until he found what he was looking for: a small chest. He blew on the chest to get rid of the dust and then sat cross legged in the middle of the floor, his knee pushing aside the bowl of bones. He sat the chest in his lap and opened it. The inside of the chest was lined with fine blue satin. He used his thumb to press a divot into the center of the satin cushion and then gently set Elsa down into it.

Elsa was still tied up in the reaper's lasso. She rolled onto her back and angrily looked up at Ulfu.

"I demand to know what's going on," she said.

Ulfu reached into his leather pouch. He pinched something between his thumb and finger and sprinkled it over Elsa.

"Snow Queen sleeps now," he said, smiling. "Snow Queen to change everything."

The effect of the powder was almost instant. The last thing Elsa saw was the lid of the chest closing over her.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own any Frozen characters.

* * *

Chapter 4

Elsa had the dream where she was covered in long spikes of ice. Anna was reaching through a window for her. She needed help. Elsa reached out but the spikes protruding from her body extended beyond the length of her arms. Whenever she got close, Anna shied away to avoid getting stabbed. The spikes grew larger until Elsa was entirely encased in a block of ice. She struggled to move her arms and legs.

That was how she awoke. Her knees and shoulders ached. Slowly the previous events came back to her and she remembered where she was. She lifted her head and looked around. The inside of the chest was completely dark, though she could tell she was being transported somewhere. The motion was long and swaying, a two footed gait. Elsa sighed and laid back against the pillow. She wondered what other nightmare could possibly await her.

It wasn't long before the chest jostled and then went still. Elsa had been set down. She laid there for a while and listened. All was quiet. She twisted her hands about in the chains to try and loosen them but they remained locked. She shifted around onto her stomach and lifted up into a kneeling position. Her knees were bound together so she had to hop on them to the front of the chest. Once there she used her shoulder to try and push up on the lid. The lid moved a bit but would not open. It must have been buckled shut. After few heaves, Elsa slumped and rolled back into her spot in the middle of the cushion.

After what felt like hours, she heard a set of footsteps approaching. They stopped just outside of the chest. She then heard the muffled sound of a woman's voice talking excitedly. She listened as the chest buckles were undone one at a time, and then the chest lid was lifted slowly. Warm light poured in. Elsa had to squint her eyes for a moment as she looked up.

Another giant, this one a woman, peered down at her. She was young, probably around Elsa's age. She was also beautiful with a soft round face, wide blue eyes, and a head full of bright red curly hair.

"Sweet Titan," the woman whispered. "Can this be real?" Elsa wondered the same thing. The woman spotted Elsa's chains and frowned. "Reaper coils." She reached in and carefully touched them with her finger. The chains fell away like dead snakes. Elsa removed them and brought herself into a sitting position with her legs folded to the side.

"Who are you?" Elsa asked, praying that she would finally get some answers.

"I'm Lira," the woman replied. "Goddess of autumn leaves."

Elsa raised her eyebrows. "Goddess?"

"Of autumn leaves. Are you really an ice elemental?"

Elsa considered how to answer that. "I have the power to freeze things."

Lira clutched her hands to her mouth with an excited squeal. Redness crept up into her cheeks.

"Show me!" she cried.

Elsa hesitantly opened her palm and formed a snowball. Lira leaned in and gawked at the snowball as though she were witnessing the birth of time and space.

"Titan blind me," she exclaimed. "And are you really a royal?"

Elsa eyed Lira carefully.

"I am Queen Elsa of Arendelle, yes."

"A queen!" Lira's smile filled her face. She squealed again and twirled about. "An elemental queen! Oh sweet suns and stars!"

Elsa dropped the snowball. She stood up to have a look at where she was. The room was small and modest. The walls and floor were stone. A simple bed was positioned in a corner. Above the head of the bed was a shelf with a few items, in particular something that looked like a colorful swirling snow globe. The chest that Elsa was in was set on a table in the middle of the room. Next to the chest was a bowl of delicious looking fruit and a flask of wine.

After dancing around the room, Lira collected herself enough to return to the table. She was dressed in a flowing gown that changed colors as she moved. The colors melted in and out of each other- first red, then yellow, then orange, sometimes laced with hints of purple and gold. The effect was truly beautiful. She pushed her long curls away from her face. Elsa noticed her hands were shaking.

"Sorry, you don't know what this means to me," Lira said. "This is just absolutely amazing. I can't believe this is happening. Are you sure about that queen bit, though? You don't look how mortal queens tend to look."

Elsa frowned. She did look a mess. She was dirty from head to toe, her hair was disheveled, and her nightgown and robe looked like they'd seen a few nights on the street.

"I'm a queen who's had a very bad night," she said, consciously choosing the diplomatic response over the sarcastic one.

"Reapers," Lira replied, nodding. "Who hired them? Who brought you here? A secret admirer? Is he handsome?"

"One named Ulfu. I'm not sure you'd want him as an admirer."

Lira rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Ulfu. Never heard of him."

"Do you know why have I've been brought here?"

"I don't know," said the goddess, shrugging. "I was checking the offerings at my shrine. When I got back, this chest was sitting on my table with this note attached to the top." She picked up a yellowed scrap of cloth and unrolled it. "It says 'This mortal is a royal ice elemental. Put her to good use.' "

"Put me to good use?" Elsa did not like the sound of that. She pinched the bridge of her nose. Her head was beginning to hurt. "I just want to know what's going on. I was woken in the middle of the night to my city being destroyed. I was captured by those reapers and taken to some pig man who I suppose paid for the deed, and now I'm here talking to you. I want to know why."

Lira furrowed her brow. "I don't know. I don't know who Ulfu is or why he wanted me to have you. He probably just really likes me, not hard to see why. He must have incredible power though to be able to hire reapers. They don't work for just anything."

Elsa took a deep breath. "Ok, let's back up a second. So Ulfu made a gift of me. Fine. Is that a common occurrence? Do gods regularly give mortals to each other as gifts?"

"Oh, no." Lira shook her head vigorously. "Pretty much never. There are only two ways a god can obtain a mortal. They can either select from their worshippers, or hire reapers. But like I said, reapers don't work for cheap. I don't know any gods who could pay their asking price. And it's considered underhanded to use them anyway."

"I see," Elsa said slowly. "And when you say 'obtain' a mortal…?"

Lira smiled. "When a god has a worshipper they really like, they can make them their chosen mortal to keep at their side. Being gods, there aren't any consequences we can suffer. This makes it difficult to form relationships or settle disputes so we use mortals. The mortals give us something to put at stake. There's actually a lot of politics to it. Gods who don't have mortals are second class citizens up here."

"Don't you already have a mortal?"

"No. I've only got two worshippers actually. A sweet little old couple. Want to see my shrine? They leave me apples and oranges every once in awhile."

"Perhaps later," Elsa said. "So why haven't you made one of your worshippers your chosen mortal?"

"Oh, please," Lira laughed. "I would die! A god can't just pick any mortal to be their chosen one. I mean they could, but a god's mortal is an extension of himself. Take me, for example. I'm beautiful and bubbly, but if I picked an old woman as my favorite, that's what the other gods would judge me on. But I don't have to worry about that now because I have you! The first thing we have to do is get you some suitable clothes."

Lira stepped away from the table, producing a little bell from her pocket. She rang the bell daintily. In a moment a little satyr poofed into existence beside her. The satyr was fat and round like a ball. His wings flapped furiously to keep him aloft. He had curling horns coming out of his head and his serious face was squashed like a pug's.

"Yes, my lady," the satyr said. His voice was gravelly and high pitched at the same time.

"I need some clothes for my new mortal," said Lira, gesturing to Elsa. "And she's an _ice elemental_ so make sure the clothes are fitting. I'm also going to need some accessories for her. A bed and a tub and all that."

Elsa felt a sinking in her stomach.

"Now hold on a minute," she said.

The satyr landed on the table.

"Beg your pardon," he rasped. He produced a measuring tape which he slid out between his hands and used it to measure Elsa this way and that.

Elsa looked over the satyr's shoulder at Lira.

"Please don't bother with this," she said. "I didn't want to be brought here. I'd actually like to go home."

Lira made a face. "You mean back to the mortal world? What for?"

"I'm the queen. I can't just leave my people. And I'm worried about my sister."

The satyr finished his measurements and put away his measuring tape.

"I will return with the requested items, my lady," he said. He hopped off the table and poofed out of the room.

Lira scoffed. "Your sister will be fine and so will your city. Civilizations rise and fall like you wouldn't believe. It's really not a big deal."

Elsa was beginning to get an idea of what she was dealing with. In some of the books she had read, gods were described as being incredibly self involved and superficial. Lira did not care about Elsa being parted from her loved ones because love and loss were mortal concerns just like hunger and aging. A god could not understand them. Elsa began to feel the creep of hopelessness. She feared that she may never see Anna again.

Lira approached the table.

"Show me some more of your ice powers," she said. She reached into the chest to grab Elsa but Elsa dodged away quickly.

"Don't grab me," Elsa snapped. Lira pulled her hand away with a hurt expression.

Elsa paced inside the chest. She ran a hand back through her hair, her mind racing as she tried to figure out what in the hell she was going to do.

"Look," she huffed. "If we're going to… _work_ together, we need to come to an agreement about a few things. First, don't grab me like I'm a salt shaker. Just open your hand and I'll step onto it. Better yet if you want me to move somewhere, just ask me. I'm perfectly capable of moving myself." She stopped and looked at the goddess. "Second, I am not your monkey to perform tricks for you. I reserve the right to use my abilities at my own discretion. Third, I know you're not going to understand but I want to find out if my sister is ok."

Lira crossed her arms and frowned.

"There's no reason I should take orders from a mortal, even a queen mortal," she said. "I'm a goddess and that puts me leagues above you."

"You're right. But your reaction to my abilities and my royal status tells me that I'm more valuable than most other mortals you'd find around here, isn't that right? So you won't be so quick to do away with me. If I had to take a guess, I'd say that most gods end up choosing their favorite mortal based on looks or status or something else frivolous like that. Most mortals aren't royals, and most royals don't have powers like mine. I wager that puts me in some very elite category that you gods value highly. Am I right?"

Lira toed at the floor. "Mostly," she muttered. "Alright. I can agree to the first two items. The last one I'm not sure. Which god is worshipped by your people?"

"That's actually a bit of a conundrum," said Elsa. "I'm from a place where the people believe in just one god."

Lira thought for a moment, then her face lit with recognition.

"Oh yeah, that guy. He doesn't come around here."

"Doesn't come around?"

"Yeah. It's kind of hard to believe you're the one true god with a bunch of other gods about. So yeah, he's got his own realm and he sticks to it."

"And you can't go to places where he's worshipped?"

"I can go to my shrine in that old couple's back yard and that's it."

Elsa's heart sank. She summoned a gust of wind to carry her out of the chest and onto the table, ignoring Lira's squeak of delight. She looked around the room again. Everything was so huge. Never in her life had she felt so small and insignificant. The flask of wine in front of her looked like a tower. The fruit in the bowl looked like a bunch of colorful boulders. She hugged her arms around herself.

A small noise behind her caught her attention. She looked over her shoulder and saw Lira dancing from one foot to the other looking as though she could hardly contain her happiness.

"I'm sorry," Lira said. She flitted to the table and rested her hand on it with her palm up. "Can you...Can you just indulge me for a minute because this is by far the best thing that's ever happened to me and I feel like I don't even know what to do with myself right now."

Elsa looked at Lira's hand, then up into her eyes. Lira was a goddess- self centered and carefree, but Elsa did not sense any malice behind her behavior.

"Alright." Elsa approached Lira's hand and stepped onto her palm. Lira lifted her to the level of her face, cupping one hand under the other.

"Make another snowball, please?" Lira asked.

Elsa managed a soft smile.

"Oh, I can do more than snowballs. Watch this."


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own any Frozen characters.

* * *

 **Chapter 5**

Lira's bedroom was covered in snow by the time the satyr returned with items for Elsa. Elsa waved her hand to dismiss the snow, dropping Lira who had been making a snow angel on the ground.

The satyr did not acknowledge them and simply got to work. Elsa stood on the table and watched him. He moved surprisingly quick for one so stout. He was able to materialize tools and objects that he needed and then dismiss them when he was done.

His end result was a miniaturized castle of shimmery blue stone set on a pedestal in the corner of the room.

"Royal quarters for a royal ice elemental," he said, wiping his hands. Lira bounced around the castle excitedly.

"This is incredible," she said, peering into the upper level windows. "All the mortal homes other gods have are just little one room houses. Come see it, Elsa."

Elsa looked warily at the castle. It was certainly a nice piece of work, tall and square with two towers and a second floor balcony. Lira wanted this to be her new home.

Lira stepped to the table and held out her hand and smiled.

"Don't be shy," she said. "I think you're really going to like it!"

Elsa stepped onto Lira's hand and let herself be transported to the front doors of the castle. The doors looked like they were made of ice. They were clear and yet Elsa could not see through them. Elsa placed her hand on them and was surprised to find they were not cold. She pushed them open.

True to the castle's shape, the interior was square. Everything looked as though it were made of ice. There was a fireplace with a couple of chairs in front of it and a polar bear skin rug on the floor. Along the walls were a few bookcases filled with books, and some empty shelves. There was also a table with a bowl of fruit, a cheese board, and a flask of wine with a couple of goblets beside it.

Elsa curiously picked up an apple. It felt like an apple but looked as though it had been carved from ice. She took a small bite. It tasted like an apple. She held it up against the glow of the fire, admiring how the light bent through her bite mark. She set it down and went up the stairs.

The second level was the bedroom. There was a large canopy bed encompassed by a glistening veil. A clawfoot tub sat in the opposite corner with a folded up privacy screen. There was also a curved vanity table and a wardrobe for clothes. A set of double doors lead out onto a balcony. Lira peered in through them.

"What do you think?" she asked.

"It's very...icy," Elsa said, pulling back the translucent veil over the bed. The mattress looked like a block of ice gel. Elsa sat on it and found that it was quite soft and warm. Blue and white blankets were folded up at the foot.

"But do you like it?" asked Lira. "I can have them change anything you want."

"It's fine," Elsa said. She did not want to get comfortable here.

"Excellent! Go on and make yourself at home then. You'll probably want to get cleaned up before dinner. Did they leave you any clothes in there?"

Elsa rose from the bed and crossed to the wardrobe. She opened it up and was surprised to see that there was an entire room inside of it. Along the far wall of the room were several bars, and from each bar hung at least a hundred dresses spanning all the colors of the rainbow.

"Yes," she said.

"Good," Lira said. "Wear something nice. I want everyone's jaw to drop when they see you. This is so exciting! I'm going to get myself ready. If you need me, just call me. You're my mortal now so I'm never far away." She spun and faded away.

Elsa frowned at the idea of being told what to wear. She stepped into the wardrobe to have a look at the dresses. She ran her hand along them, pulled a few out to get a better look. They were not made of any earthly fabrics. The material was so soft she could hardly feel it.

 _Don't get used to this._

There were dresses of all styles. Her first impulse was to choose something conservative. She was not here to fraternize. Her primary objective was to leave this place and that was probably going to involve some kind of negotiation with some kind of god. She pulled out a dark purple dress that had a high collar and sleeves, but then paused. Gods valued beauty. Getting her way might require a certain level of fraternization. She selected an emerald green dress, something off the shoulders with short sleeves and a high slit up the thigh.

She carried the dress out to the bedroom and hung it on a hook by the tub. She closed the privacy screen and then looked at the tub. It was a standard clawfoot, though large enough to easily fit two or three people. There were no drains or pipes connected to it. Where the faucet should have been were instead three buttons labeled cold, warm, and hot. Elsa pressed the button for warm. Water flowed right out of the tub walls and filled the tub in a matter of seconds. Elsa dipped a finger into the water.

"Of course it would be the perfect temperature," she said.

She undid the belt of her robe and shrugged it off her shoulders, feeling a weight in the inner pocket. She reached in and pulled out the leather pouch that Ingo had given to her back in Arendelle. She had forgotten about it until now.

She opened the pouch strings and emptied the contents into her palm. The item was a craggy black rock about the size of an ice cube. It was heavier than it looked and felt slightly warm. Elsa held it up. Light shined through and revealed a deep purple color at the rock's center.

Elsa put the rock back into its pouch and hid the pouch under her folded robe. She thought about showing the rock to Lira to see if she knew what it was, but decided against it. If the rock was valuable, Elsa wasn't sure she could stop Lira from taking it if she wanted.

Elsa stripped off her nightgown and then stepped into the tub, slowly sinking down. The warm water surrounded her up to her neck. On a shelf next to the tub was an assortment of soaps and oils. She browsed through them, taking them down one at a time to sniff them until she found one she liked.

"Well, there are worse places I could be held against my will," she said. She cleaned herself up and then soaked for a while, enjoying the silence.

When she heard Lira return, she got up and stepped out of the tub. She looked around for a towel but then realized she didn't need one. As soon as she left the tub all of the water dried away. Even her hair was completely dry.

"Elsa, are you done?" Lira asked. Elsa looked over the privacy screen to see Lira's big blue eye peeking in through the balcony doors.

"Not quite," said Elsa, grabbing her dress from the hook. "And I would appreciate it if you didn't look through the window like that. It's rude."

"Oop, sorry!" Lira popped up and turned her back to the castle.

Elsa slipped into her dress and then came around to the vanity to have a look at herself in the mirror. The dress fit like a dream and needed no adjustments. It accentuated her curves, perhaps a bit more than she preferred, but the effect was stunning. She sat down at the vanity to braid her hair.

"So what can you tell me about eating dinner with the gods?" she asked.

"I don't know," Lira replied. "I've never had a mortal before so I've never attended a dinner."

Elsa paused. "Only gods with mortals eat dinner?"

"Well, only gods with mortals are allowed in the Grand Hall to eat dinner. Like I said, there's a lot of politics to keeping mortals."

"So what do gods without mortals do?"

"Nothing," said Lira, shrugging. "Eating is a novelty for gods anyway. The dinner is more for the mortals. When I'm bored I'll have the satyrs bring me something to munch on, but that's it."

"Right," Elsa said. "Are you bored often?"

"Rarely," Lira replied. "I have a lot going on."

"Like what?"

"Oh, just the usual goddess stuff I suppose. Are you ready yet?"

"Almost."

When she was ready, Elsa walked out onto the balcony. "Alright."

Lira spun to face Elsa. She had changed out of her shimmery color changing dress and into a long evening gown that looked to be made out of hundreds of leaves sewn together. The leaves were orange at the base and ended in yellow at the top just above her breasts which Elsa could now see were generously sized. The dress had been cinched to create maximum cleavage. Lira had gathered her curly mess of hair up into a ponytail and tied it with a ribbon. Around her neck was a silver chain choker with a leaf pendant dangling at the front.

Lira gasped when she saw Elsa but her delight was short lived.

"Oh, do you have to wear green?" she asked.

Elsa cocked an eyebrow. "Is there something wrong with green?"

Lira fidgeted. "It's fine. It's just not very...Snow Queen-ish. Don't you want to wear something white? Maybe even blue?"

"It's not the color of my dress that makes me the Snow Queen," Elsa said, annoyed.

"I know, but I was hoping for more of a presentation, you know?"

Elsa sighed. She wanted to say that she was not a trinket to show off, but in this world that's exactly what she was. But giving in to Lira now would set a poor precedent.

"I'm not going to wear a white dress," Elsa said. "But I will wear a blue one next time."

Lira narrowed her eyes and was silent for a moment.

"Fine," she said, holding out her hand. "Come on."

Elsa stepped onto Lira's hand and Lira placed her on her shoulder. Elsa sat with her ankles crossed. The slit in her dress opened on her thigh and she attempted to pull the material back over. She held on to the choker around Lira's neck, feeling just a bit ridiculous.

"So how do we get to the Grand Hall?" she asked.

"Like this," said Lira, and suddenly they were there.

Elsa wasn't sure what had happened. They were standing in a hall as wide as a mortal city. The length of the hall stretched in both directions beyond what Elsa could see. It looked like it went on forever. Lining the sides of the hall were white marble columns stretching up. There was no ceiling, just an open night sky. In the middle of the hall were three long tables of food as long as the hall itself.

Thousands of gods filled the area. They packed in at the long benches to eat and drink themselves silly. They lounged on elegant nests of pillows and laughed uproariously at satyrs telling jokes and singing crude songs. More simply milled about the hall being social. There were huge gods and tiny gods and humanoid gods and monstrous gods. Elsa noticed that each god was accompanied by a mortal.

"Where do you sit?" Elsa asked. "Is the seating assigned?"

"Uh…" Lira stammered. Elsa looked and saw that Lira was frozen in place with a slack jaw and eyes like a scared rabbit.

"Hey, snap out of it," said Elsa and snapped her fingers in Lira's ear. "Close your mouth. Take a deep breath and relax."

Lira followed the orders like a soldier.

"I can feel my face getting red," she said, pressing her hands to her cheeks.

"Put your hands down," Elsa said calmly. "Hold your breath to slow your heart rate. That will decrease the flushing. Now start walking. If someone makes eye contact with you, make sure to hold their gaze. If they smile, smile back but not too much. If they frown, just keep walking. Don't stare them down. Straighten your back and never look at the floor."

"What were you, an etiquette coach in your spare time?" Lira asked through a smile. She walked along the area between the middle and leftmost table. For the most part the other gods ignored her. The few that glanced at her did so for no longer than it took to discern Elsa on her shoulder.

"I had to get used to being the center of attention," Elsa said. "Look, there's an empty seat up there. Go ask if it's taken."

The empty seat was at the middle table between a god who looked like a knight and another who looked like a skinny old man with leathery yellow skin. Lira approached and tapped the knight on the shoulder.

"Excuse me, is this seat taken?" she asked.

The knight slowly turned his head and looked at her. He was perfectly gorgeous with deep blue eyes and shaggy blonde hair that fell past his ears. He had a strong clefted chin and a straight nose. His silver armor shined brilliantly under the light of the candelabra on the table.

"All yours," he said and scooted over to make more room.

Lira took a seat and drummed her fingers on the edge.

"Hands in your lap," Elsa whispered. "Sit up straight." Lira did so, clearing her throat. A satyr appeared and placed a dinner plate and a goblet in front of her. Next to the dinner plate the satyr placed a small chair and table complete with its own dinnerware for Elsa.

"So," Lira started to no one in particular. "I'm Lira."

The knight had already turned his attention back to another conversation. He looked at Lira again.

"What?"

"Oh," Lira giggled. "I'm Lira." She held up her hand to Elsa. Elsa took the cue and stepped onto Lira's palm. Lira set Elsa down on the table. "This is Elsa."

Elsa looked up and down at the spread of food that filled the table. Among many other things, there was roasted goat with honey and sweetgrass, whole racks of venison, whole roasted pigs with cloves, goose with mulberries, meat pies, rows of honeyed cakes and fruit tarts, plates of roasted vegetables, and lots of wine. Next to every god's plate sat a mortal with their own spread.

"Ok," said the knight. "I'm Nosk. That's Borin." He motioned to his mortal and then returned to his conversation.

Borin sat at his table next to Nosk's plate. He was fat and stout and looked to be somewhere in his forties. His brown hair was cut very close to his scalp, shaved around the edges with just a couple inches on top. He wore a blue and white surcoat with a lion pattern on the upper right breast. The surcoat was fastened with a leather belt from which hung a sword in a scabbard. His greaves looked freshly polished. He was in the middle of stuffing his face and hardly looked up to acknowledge Elsa's presence.

"Mmf," he managed to get out through a mouthful. Elsa raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

The wrinkled yellow god to Lira's left adjusted his glasses. He was skinny and bald like a bird that had lost all of its feathers. He wore simple cotton trousers and a leather vest left open. His glasses were thick like bottles. His mortal was an old woman in plain clothes who sat cross legged on his shoulder eating soup from a bowl.

"I'm Rute," the old god said. "This is my mortal, Alma." He leaned over to look at Elsa, adjusting his glasses again and squinting his eyes. "Ah, I see you've got yourself a queen."

Lira beamed at the acknowledgement.

"She is," she said. "Queen Elsa of Arendelle. She's not only a queen, she's an ice elemental."

Rute's eyebrows shot up and formed deep lines across his forehead.

"An elemental?" he said. "Well how about that." His words carried a tone of false belief, the kind that an adult would take to a child telling a story.

"Don't you believe me?" said Lira, smiling demurely. "Perhaps a demonstration would convince you? If it pleases you, Elsa, this fine old god would like to see a show of your elemental abilities. Would you mind indulging him?"

Elsa had a mind to defy Lira's request, but she didn't want to make Lira look like a liar when we was trying to hard to fit in.

"Not at all," she said, forcing a smile. She touched the edge of Lira's dinner plate. The plate frosted and froze through.

All of the gods in the immediate area stopped what they were doing and stared at Elsa. Rute gaped. Alma dropped her spoon into her bowl. Borin looked up mid chew. Nosk turned to see what was going on when the goddess he'd been talking to stopped and gawked.

"Fascinating," Rute whispered. "What did you say your name was?"

"Lira."

Borin the portly knight wiped his mouth and got up from his seat.

"Gods almighty, beg your pardon," he said, still chewing. With some small degree of difficulty he knelt in front of Elsa and bowed his head. "Borin at your service, Your Majesty."

"That's not necessary," Elsa said and ushered him up.

"Oh, let him do it if he wants to," said Lira, giggling.

Gods around them closed in to get a better look. Elsa found herself surrounded by towering faces. There was a blue skinned god with long ears and wings. Another god looked like handfuls of clay stacked in the shape of a man. A set of beautiful triplet goddesses with rainbow hair smiled and murmured. A goat headed god made pleasant bleating noises. Down on the table, all of the mortals belonging to these gods rose from their seats and gathered around Elsa. All of them were young and attractive and dressed in fine clothes. The fawning came from all fronts.

"She's gorgeous."

"What an amazing find!"

"A true ice elemental. So beautiful!"

"I never thought I'd see an elemental up close."

Elsa let them all look. As much as she hated to be the center of attention, gaining positive reactions was the first step to building good relationships. Any one of these gods or their mortals could have useful information about returning a mortal to the mortal world.

Nosk shifted in his seat to face Lira.

"It's only fitting that such a unique and beautiful mortal would belong to a beautiful goddess like yourself," he said. Lira covered her face with her hand.

"Stop, you're making me blush," she said and batted his shoulder playfully.

Borin drew his sword and put himself between Elsa and the other mortals.

"Alright, that's close enough," he said and gave his sword a wave. "You've all had a good look, now go on back to your business. Her Majesty Queen Elsa hasn't even had a chance to sit down yet. There'll be plenty of time for a meet and greet later, now leave off!"

The group of mortals slowly dispersed as well as their respective gods.

"Thank you, Borin," Elsa said. "But I really wish my presence weren't made such a big deal."

"But it is a big deal," Borin replied. "The fact that you're a royal with merit beyond your title is news enough. Most royals aren't worth having which is why there aren't many here." He laughed heartily. "If there's anything else you need, you let me know. Make sure I'm your first thought!" He sheathed his sword and returned to his table where he sat down and continued to stuff his face mightily.

Elsa took a seat in her chair next to Lira's plate, ignoring the gods and mortals that continued to stare at her from a distance. A tiny satyr appeared and hovered in front of her face.

"What does Your Majesty wish to eat?" he asked in the same gravelly, unenthusiastic tone as the satyr who had built the castle in Lira's room.

"What all is there to choose from?" Elsa asked.

"Anything," replied the satyr.

"Anything?"

"Literally anything."

Elsa thought for a moment. Her imagination began to run through all the endless combinations of food she could try. She pictured mountains of chocolate ice cream, stacks of buttered crab legs, and cream sauce meatballs the size of her head. She could have any kind of food that she wanted and as much of it as she wanted. A world of gluttony and indulgence was right at her fingertips.

 _Don't get used to this._

"Just some smoked salmon with vegetables," she said. "And some white wine, something dry."

"Anything else?"

Elsa thought for a moment then replied, "Chocolate truffles. Just two. That's it."

The satyr disappeared, and then a moment later he reappeared with a platter of smoked salmon on a bed of seasoned vegetables. He set the platter down and then filled Elsa's goblet with wine from a flask. Lastly he set down a small plate with two decorative chocolate truffles.

"Thank you," Elsa said. The satyr bowed and disappeared.

Elsa looked at the food. The cuts of salmon were thick and dark red. The vegetables were bright and crisp. She cut off a bite of the salmon and smelled it curiously. Where did the gods get their food from anyway? Was there some celestial river out there filled with divine salmon? She grinned at the thought and took a bite.

The taste brought her world to a stop. She closed her eyes as the flavors unfolded. This was not salmon. This was a transcendental representation of the most ideal salmon. There was no salmon like this that could be found on earth because this salmon was above temporal existence. Ambrosia.

It had been her intention to listen to the conversations of the gods around her, but now the only thing she cared about was the blissful situation happening on the plate before her. Every bite renewed a feeling of euphoria. She knew what it was like to take a first bite after not eating for a while. This meal made her feel as though she had been starving her whole life. She had never known fulfillment such as this. She ate vigorously and after she had finished everything on her plate, she downed her goblet of wine. The wine filled her with warmth and made her head buzz just a little. The effect was pleasant and she felt herself relax. She picked up one of the truffles and popped it in her mouth. The truffle was filled with a warm chocolate center, very light and not too sweet. She ate the other truffle without a thought and then looked at her empty plates. The sight saddened her.

 _More._

She could keep eating. She wanted to. She only felt a little full. She looked up at the giant plate of roasted goose in front of her. The goose was as large as a house. She imagined herself running up and climbing on top of it, digging in her hands to grab whole fistfuls of meat to shove in her mouth.

"No," she whispered. She had eaten an appropriate amount. That was all she needed and she would not take anything more. She got up and turned her back to the food, looking to see what Lira was doing.

Lira sat across Nosk's lap with her arm around his neck. She had yet to eat anything but she gripped the neck of a half empty wine flask. Gods had crammed in at the benches around her and pulled up chairs to get close to her. They flattered her and praised Elsa to her. Lira's cheeks were bright red and she laughed too loud at something Nosk whispered in her ear.

Elsa sighed. It looked like they were going to be here for a while. This would be a good opportunity to make some connections. She wouldn't have to go very far. Another group of mortals was already approaching from down the table. Like the last group, all of these mortals were exceptionally attractive. When they neared, Elsa turned to greet them with her hands folded politely in front of her. She opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted by Borin hastily stumbling up to put himself between Elsa and the group.

"Close enough, close enough," he said. His mouth was still full of food. He drew his sword and swept it out to establish a boundary.

"Put that away," said Elsa. "I don't need a keeper."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Borin replied. He sheathed his sword but stayed put to speak to the group. "So here she is, Queen Elsa of Arendelle. No touching, don't look her in the eye, and no tainting her air with your peasant waft. She's worth more than all of you put together." He turned to Elsa and held his arm out toward the group. "Your Majesty, don't spend too much time with this lot. Nothing but common dainty flowers, all of them. Except maybe Ambrille there can sing."

"That's enough," Elsa said sternly. She looked over the group. "It's nice to meet you all."

"So you're an ice elemental," said Ambrille, her eyes wide with wonder. She had long black hair down to her waist and wore a long blue gown tied with a golden rope. Her figure suggested a mature age but her face was soft and childlike.

"Your Lira must be a really powerful goddess to have a queen like you as a follower. And so humble to sit among the lesser gods. How many followers does she have?"

"Well," Elsa started. This was territory that she did not wish to broach. She did not know much about the politics behind god and mortal relationships, but something told her that revealing Lira's incredibly small following would be a poor move.

"I can't really say," she said.

"I've never heard of Arendelle," said one of the young men. He wore a fur lined vest and dark trousers tucked into fur lined boots. His eyes were dark and almond shaped like a cat's.

"Quiet, Aluki," said Ambrille. "Arendelle probably didn't exist when you were on earth."

Elsa raised an eyebrow.

"Didn't exist?" she asked. "Arendelle has existed for a hundred years at least. How long have you all been here?"

Aluki shrugged. "Hard to say. Time passes differently here. Sometimes it feels like I've been here for ages. Other times I don't feel like I've been here long at all."

"Same for me," said Ambrille.

"I see," said Elsa. She felt a sinking in her stomach again. To her perception, roughly a night and a day had passed since she had been taken from Arendelle. How much time had actually passed, she wondered? Or was it only perception and the time in this realm actually did match time in the mortal world?

Just then, a goddess stormed up and broke through the circle of admirers surrounding Lira.

"Alright, what's going on here?" she demanded. She was tall and slender with high cheek bones and bright purple eyes. She wore a tight fitting red dress with a deep cut neckline and a long train that slithered behind her. Her black hair twisted like two thick snakes down her back. Her mortal was a muscular Roman soldier perched on her shoulder.

Nosk looked up, his smile curbing at the sight of the woman. The other gods backed away to give her space.

"Vica, this is Lira," Nosk said. "Her mortal is an ice elemental queen."

Lira giggled and wiggled her fingers at the woman. Vica curled her lip.

"Is that what this is all about?" Vica said. "I want to have a look. Where is she?"

Lira pointed to Elsa. The other mortals backed away, even Borin.

"Well, she's beautiful, I'll give her that," said Vica. She set her mortal on the table. He was handsome with a square jaw and a short flat nose. His eyes were dark brown and his brown hair was close cut and combed forward. He approached Elsa and circled her, sneering.

"Go on then," said Vica to Elsa. "Show my Maxmar your ice magic."

Elsa curled her fists. Ever since she had been taken from Arendelle her existence had been reduced to proving her abilities to one being or another. She was beginning to feel like her powers really were nothing more than a party trick.

"Give me your sword," she told Maxmar.

Maxmar raised his eyebrows, but nonetheless unsheathed his short sword and held it up in his open palms. Elsa grabbed the middle of the sword and froze it through. The blade turned so cold that wisps of steam rose from it.

Maxmar examined the blade, turning it this way and that.

"Impressive," he said. He held up the sword and showed it to Vica. Vica leaned down to have closer look.

"Truly miraculous," she said. She straightened up and looked at the other gods. "Too miraculous. Are you all really so gullible? This is obviously some trick. Who is this Lira who suddenly appears with an elemental queen? Had any of you ever heard of her before this night?"

The gods exchanged quiet glances. Vica smiled.

"Just as I thought. She is no one. Her Elsa may be a queen, but she is no more an elemental than my Maxmar."

The gods murmured at the accusation. Lira stumbled up from Nosk's lap. Half a flask of wine had gone to her head and she wobbled on her feet.

"It's not a trick," she said. "Are you blind? Did you not just see her freeze your mortal's sword?"

Vica looked down her nose at Lira. "What I saw can only be described as a spell. Tell us about yourself, Lira. What exactly are you the goddess of?"

Lira hesitated before replying softly. "Autumn leaves."

Vica laughed. "Autumn leaves? Ridiculous. Volos is also a god of autumn. He was recognized by thousands of mortals and the best he got was some pretty thing with a knack for farming apples. Tell me, how many followers do you have?"

"None of your business," Lira replied angrily.

"That few, huh? And we're supposed to believe that out of all the several followers you have, one of them just _happened_ to be a queen and that queen just _happened_ to be an elemental? Are we really going to believe a mortal like Elsa would waste time on a goddess like you? Autumn leaves indeed. My guess is that you used reapers to snatch this poor queen from her land and then paid some satyr or some sylph to cast an illusion spell on her to make it look like she's got ice powers. How you afforded the reapers is beyond me, but I can sooner believe that than believe you came by this queen legitimately. Haven't we seen this before? Doesn't anyone remember Groos with his fire elemental? When the poor man was thrown in the pit he was bitten in half by the first chimera to come at him. Pathetic." Vica spat.

"It's not like that," said Lira. Her eyes were beginning to glisten. Some of the gods whispered among themselves and cast dubious glances at her.

Elsa stepped forward.

"My powers are no trick," she said. Vica's eyes flashed.

"I'm sure Lira offered you luxuries beyond your imagination to go along with this ruse," she said. "But know that I am only speaking up for the betterment of mortals like yourself. Gods go to great lengths to preen and exaggerate their mortals and in the end it is the mortals who suffer, as you will see." She stood up on the bench and looked out over the gathered gods.

"Attention everyone, look here. I want you all to know that I am officially challenging Lira to a round in the pit. My Maxmar against her Elsa. If she refuses, may she be branded a liar and a fraud."

The gods gasped and looked to Lira for her response. Lira was so angry she was shaking.

"I am not a liar or a fraud," she cried. "I accept your challenge. We will meet at the pit tomorrow morning. I hope Maxmar isn't your last remaining follower because you're going to lose him and you're going to end up in the nether with all the other forgotten gods! Come on, Elsa. We're leaving."

Elsa didn't have time to react before Lira snatched her up from the table like a doll. As quickly as they had appeared in the Grand Hall, they appeared back in Lira's bedroom.

"Put me down," Elsa shouted. Lira dropped her onto the table and proceeded to pace angrily.

"Can you believe that witch?" Lira snarled. "Doubting me? She had no right! I won't be treated like that. You were given to me fair and square. You were left here on my table for me to find. You are _my_ mortal and that's final. My number of followers doesn't have anything to do with it. So what if I only have two? They're two very devoted followers!"

"Enough about your followers," said Elsa. "What was all that talk about a pit?"

Lira whirled and fixed the Queen of Arendelle with a fiery glare.

"What does it sound like? The pit is where gods settle disputes."

Elsa narrowed her eyes.

"You mean its where gods throw their mortals to settle their disputes for them," she said.

"Exactly," Lira replied. "It's the only way disputes can be settled otherwise gods would be at each others' throats for eternity. Two mortals enter the pit and only one can leave."

Elsa laughed at the absurdity of the situation. "If you think for one moment that I'm going to kill for you, you are very mistaken."

"Then are you going to die for me?" Lira approached the table and lowered herself to Elsa's eye level. "If the mortals refuse to battle then both of them are killed and the dispute is revisited when both gods have obtained new mortals. There is no other way."

"And how is my killing Maxmar going to prove anything? Vica will just keep saying my powers are a trick."

"Spells and illusions don't work in the pit. That's why she challenged me. She's so sure that you're a fake!"

"And if I refuse?"

"You can't refuse."

Elsa began to pace. "If this is how disputes are settled, why doesn't every god pick the best fighter from among their followers?"

"Different gods value different things. Most gods avoid disputes when they can and the pit is a very last resort. Vica has no idea she's about to lose her mortal. It's her own fault though. Soon they'll all see that you're real and that I'm not to be challenged by anyone!"

"I'm not doing it," Elsa said, shaking her head. "You can put me in that pit but you're not going to make me kill a man who has done nothing to me."

"Fine. Then he will kill you, and then you'll die and end up in the nether as just another wandering ghost. Is that what you want?"

Elsa turned away from Lira.

"I need to be alone," she said.

Lira put her back to Elsa.

"Fine," she replied. "Go rest up or whatever it is you mortals do."

Elsa returned to the bedroom of her ice castle and slammed the balcony doors shut and yanked the curtains closed. She paced the room furiously, racking her mind for possible ways she could escape this place. Could she even leave this bedroom without Lira? She remembered seeing a door, and surely the door must lead somewhere.

She thought of the leather pouch still hidden under her folded bathrobe by the tub. She crossed to the bathing area and pulled the robe up to reveal the pouch beneath. She emptied the rock out onto her palm. Ingo had said that she would find it useful, but how could she use it if she didn't even know what it was? She closed her hands around the rock, feeling its gentle warmth. She thought of Anna and her heart clenched. She missed her sister so much.

"I will return, Anna," she whispered. "I promise."

If that meant killing a man to avoid being killed herself, so be it. She was the Snow Queen and it was time to show all these gods and their mortals what that meant.


	6. Chapter 6

Note: Apologies for the long hiatus. Trying to get back on track.

* * *

Chapter 6

Elsa did not sleep. The first rays of morning sun found her sitting at her vanity with her head in her hands.

She had spent the night trying to think of an escape plan. After a long brainstorming session she decided that her best hope was the direct route- leaving through the bedroom door. She stood at the balcony doors with the curtain pulled back just enough for her to keep an eye on Lira. She intended to wait until Lira either went to bed or left the room. Unfortunately, the goddess spent the night pacing and ranting to herself. At one point Lira pulled down the colorful swirling globe from her shelf and brought it to the table to gaze at for a while.

Elsa eventually gave up and sat at her vanity to think. She had never killed anyone before. Maybe she wouldn't have to kill Maxmar. She could incapacitate him and perhaps be declared the winner that way. Maybe once Vica saw that her ice powers were real, she would call off Maxmar and withdraw from the fight.

Lira tapped on the balcony doors.

"Elsa, are you awake?" she asked.

Elsa did not respond. She looked at her reflection in the mirror. She looked paler than normal and there were dark circles under her eyes.

"Elsa?"

"I'm awake," she said.

"Good. Come out when you're ready."

Elsa sighed and pushed her fingers through her hair. She wasn't hungry, nor did she want to deal with Lira, but staying cooped up in her tower would not accomplish anything. It wasn't like this castle was a legitimate stronghold that could keep things out.

She got up and went to the tub to run a bath. After cleaning up, she entered the wardrobe to find something to wear. What would be appropriate attire for her first murder? She selected a black dress. When she was ready she threw open the balcony doors and walked out.

Lira was seated at the table with a small stack of letters on a plate in front of her. Despite having been awake all night she looked as bright and fresh as ever. She was reading one of the letters with a scandalous grin, absently twirling her hair around her finger. Every now and then the contents of the letter made her laugh and she blushed, hiding her face with her hand.

Elsa summoned a gust and transported herself to the table, alighting next to the stack of letters. Lira peered over the top of the letter in her hand.

"You're not wearing black," she said. "Go change."

"No," Elsa replied calmly. Lira's eyes flashed.

"Fine," she said. "It doesn't matter anyway. I don't care what you wear when you kill that mortal."

A satyr had set out a table and chair for Elsa next to Lira's plate of letters. Elsa took a seat with her back to Lira. A satyr appeared before her.

"What do you wish for breakfast, Your Majesty?" he asked.

"Nothing, thank you," Elsa said. Lira looked up from her letter.

"You should eat something," she said. "Mortals have to eat to have energy, don't they? How are you supposed to kill Maxmar without energy?"

"I'll be fine."

"I know you don't want to kill him, but just wait and see. It won't be so bad. I've seen plenty of mortals killed. There's a bit of a struggle and then poof, it's done. I can't wait to see the look on Vica's face. I think Nosk is going to be there. He's such a flirt. You should read this letter he wrote me. I'm not sure if I want to see him again though. I mean, did you see Borin? He's so fat and ugly!"

Elsa did not respond. The globe that Lira had brought down from the shelf was still on the table. Elsa gazed at it. Up close she could see the swirling colors in more detail. For a moment she thought she saw the figure of a man.

"What is that?" she asked.

Lira glanced to see what Elsa was talking about.

"That's a view of my shrine." she said. "Have a look if you want. Just don't get your fingerprints on it. You mortals can be so oily."

Elsa got up and approached the globe. When she got close she could see through the whirling layers of color to an image at the globe's center. A man knelt at a small stone slab. He wore plain clothes and a hat that obscured his face. On the stone were a few candles and some other items Elsa could not make out. The stone was set in front of three large trees. The man had his hands clasped and appeared to be praying.

"Can you hear him?" Elsa asked.

"Uh huh," Lira replied without looking up from her letter. Elsa watched the man for a moment.

"What does he pray to you for?"

"He usually just talks about stuff, nothing special. Sometimes he asks for good health and whatnot. Too bad the only thing I can give are beautifully colored leaves in the fall." Lira folded up her letter and dropped it onto the plate. "Are you ready to go?"

Elsa closed her eyes and took a slow breath.

"Yes," she said.

Lira put her hand on the table. Elsa stepped onto her palm and Lira placed her on her shoulder.

Lira turned and then they were on a smooth dirt road winding through a grassy field. It was a beautiful day, wherever they were. Gods traveled back and forth, some on foot and some on mounts of various sorts. Elsa spotted gods riding alicorns, giant cats, griffins, and one god sat atop a large white elk with strings of bells dangling from his antlers. Merchant booths lined the road on both sides. Satyrs hovered outside the booths and advertised their goods to passersby. All of the merchandise was for mortals. There were booths for armor and weapons, clothes, home accessories, and even mortal pets among others.

Lira was drawn to a weapons and armor tent. The tent was manned by a satyr wearing a leather kilt and thick ringed leather gauntlets. Inside the tent were racks full of mortal-sized weapons. A table at the back showcased dozens of mannequins and dress forms for armor. When the satyr saw Lira he popped up from his stool and bowed.

"Welcome, goddess," he said. "Fancy some armor for your queen?"

"I don't know," said Lira, browsing over some of the sword racks. "Does any of this look like something you'll need, Elsa?"

"No," replied Elsa. She had never trained with any weapons and wearing armor would only inhibit her.

Lira laughed. "You're so confident. Not even any armor? What if Maxmar is really good with a bow and arrow? I don't doubt your ability to win against him but I don't want you getting injured in the process. What if he hits your face?"

"He won't hit me," Elsa said.

"If you say so," Lira said, shrugging. She exited the tent and continued on down the road. As she walked, gods smiled and nodded at her. Some elbowed their companions and pointed to Elsa as they spoke in low murmurs.

"Good morning, Lira," said a gnome-like god in a cart being pulled by two golden goats.

"Good morning," Lira replied cheerfully.

"Can't wait to see your Elsa in action," said a tall naga goddess as she slithered past.

"She's going to be great," Lira said.

A handsome young god with curly golden hair rushed up and walked beside her.

"Hi, Lira," he said. "I'm Gunn, a god of the hills in Esternio. I know this is being very forward, but can I sit with you in the arena? "

"I don't know," Lira said. "Who is your mortal?"

Gunn produced his mortal- a young boy with dark hair and bright green eyes.

"He brings happiness wherever he goes," Gunn said. Lira considered the boy for a moment before shaking her head.

"I don't think so," she said ."He's cute, but bringing happiness isn't a very impressive ability. I'm happy already, see?"

"Oh, alright," Gunn said, disappointed. He dropped back. Elsa frowned.

"Does it really matter so much who you're seen with?" Elsa asked.

"Of course," Lira replied. "Everyone's going to be looking at me when you win. What if there are principal gods there?"

Elsa rolled her eyes. She wasn't sure what else she expected of a goddess who had become an overnight sensation. Elsa's power had gone right to Lira's head.

Elsa looked to the road ahead. A mountain rose in the distance. At its peak, a great colosseum sat like a crown. Four stone colossuses surrounded the stadium, their hands clasped together as though to hold the stadium in its place. Three of the colossuses were the likenesses of strong bearded men in sleeveless robes. The fourth was a woman also muscled and wearing a sleeveless robe. Her long hair fell about her shoulders as she peered down into the arena.

"Who are those statues of?" Elsa asked.

"Those are the titans," said Lira. "They pre exist all gods. There's Jhor the Creator, Nemus the King, Krikon the Father, and Atrea the Warrior."

The crowd grew thicker as they neared the colosseum. The road leading into the colosseum's entrance first ran through an arcade of stone arches. Multicolored tapestries hung from the arches depicting beasts and men locked in battle.

They followed the flow of the crowd into one of the many vaulted entryways. The interior of the colosseum was cool like a cave. The sounds of the crowd echoed off the high ceiling that was supported by a matrix of stone pillars.

Lira broke away from the gods making their way to the wide stairs that lead up to the interior arena. She made her way over to a large pillar with an alcove. The alcove had been tabled off and a satyr sat on a stool behind the table. Above the alcove hung a large golden sign. Gods lined up at at the table. Lira made her way to the end of the line.

"What is this?" asked Elsa.

"Registration," Lira replied.

The line moved at a steady pace and before long it was Lira's turn at the table. She held her hand out for Elsa who stepped down. Lira placed Elsa onto the table. The satyr had a long scroll and a long silver quill.

"Name?" he said.

"Lira's Queen Elsa of Arendelle."

"Opponent?"

"Vica's Maxmar."

"Sign here stating you agree to the terms and to the outcome of the engagement."

Lira signed the scroll. The satyr held out his hand to Elsa.

"This way, your Majesty," he said. Elsa hesitated before stepping warily onto the satyr's palm. The satyr turned and placed Elsa into one of five small lifts at the back of the alcove. He pulled a lever and the lift descended into darkness. Elsa stood with her eyes closed, listening to the echoing scrapes and creaks of the lift in the shaft. She expected the ride to last no more than a few moments but after a while she wondered how deep the lift went into the mountain. She used the time to calm herself. If she had to kill Maxmar, she would. At the very least she would be merciful about it.

The lift came to a stop. Elsa opened her eyes and saw a satyr standing guard.

"Exit the lift please," the satyr said. Elsa did so and the lift immediately ascended.

The holding area was an open space filled with other mortals. It looked like a dungeon but there were no cells. There were racks of heavily used weapons and armor, and benches for sitting. The mortals here did not fit any one particular type. Only a few looked battle worthy. The rest were commoners who looked as though they had never been in a fight in their lives. Some mortals bore injuries from previous fights. Some even lacked a limb or two.

As Elsa made her way through the area, all of the mortals turned and stared at her.

"You're that ice elemental everyone's been talking about," said a young man by one of the weapons racks. He was thin and his head was shaved. He wore plain trousers and a leather vest. His left arm hung in a sling.

"I am," Elsa said.

"Who are you fighting?"

"Vica's Maxmar."

The man nodded. "I've seen him a couple times. He's an excellent fighter."

A boy who looked to be no older than six approached the rack on the other side and browsed for a weapon. There were no good selections. All of weapons were old and rusted, some chipped and some held together with tape. The boy grabbed the hilt of a short sword in both his hands and pulled it from the rack, the tip of the blade clanging against the floor.

Elsa looked appalled.

"They fight children?" she asked.

The man laughed.

"Children, animals, monsters...The gods fight whatever they want. Sometimes they're settling disputes and sometimes it's pure entertainment. That lad there is one of a dozen other children set to fight a grown man. Why? Because gods are bored to death most of the time and there's a chance it'll be interesting to watch."

"I thought mortals were extensions of their gods," said Elsa. "What god would pull mortals from earth just to treat them so carelessly?"

The man shrugged. "That depends on the god and what the god wants. Some gods care for their mortals, others don't."

Elsa watched the boy drag his sword to a bench where he had placed a leather helmet and cuirass. He placed the helmet on his head and picked up the cuirass, fumbling with the ties at the side to get it open. The helmet, far too large for him, slipped off the side of his head and clattered on the ground.

"This is madness," Elsa said. "People accept this? Can the gods really be so excited to watch mortal children die?"

"Doesn't matter if we accept it or not," the man said. "Mortal death in and of itself means nothing to gods. This is their realm and mortals are their toys."

Elsa curled her fists. She wasn't sure what else she had been expecting of this place. Perhaps some god of mortal representation ensuring basic rights for mortals everywhere?

An armored satyr standing guard at the exit of the holding area tapped his halberd against the ground.

"Onion Knights vs Borias of Egren," he called.

The boy at the bench had just managed to pull on his cuirass. The cuirass was so large it reached the middle of his thighs. It looked more like he was wearing a barrel than armor. He grabbed his sword and helmet and trotted to the exit along with a group of other children, the oldest of whom looked to be about ten.

Elsa whisked through the area like a frosty gust. She stopped in front of the armored satyr.

"Stop," she said. "You will not send these children out to fight."

The satyr cocked an eyebrow, unimpressed with the show of chivalry. The children all dressed in their ill fitting armor and carrying weapons too heavy for their grips gathered in a group behind Elsa to watch the exchange curiously.

"With all due respect, Your Majesty," the satyr said with a curl in his lip. "That's not your decision."

"I'm making it my decision. I will go in their place."

"That's not the fight that was registered. Queen Elsa is fighting Maxmar, not Borias."

"Then make the change."

"There are no changes."

The satyr raised his halberd and swiped it across. The blade did not touch Elsa and yet she was swept to the side and thrown back against the wall. Elsa retaliated with a blast of ice straight at the satyr's face, but the stream dissolved against his skin.

The satyr chuckled.

"Your Majesty makes a bold attempt, but we satyrs are as divine as the gods."

He stepped aside to allow the children to pass through. The children began to move forward.

Elsa recovered quickly and shot out her hand, sending a blast of cold over the children's legs. The children yelled and struggled, but the cold worked quickly and bound them to the ground where they stood.

The satyr flitted up in a rage. He looked ready to hurl a line of curses at Elsa, but held his tongue and turned his attention to the ice. He jabbed at the ice with his halberd, tried to pry the tip of the blade under the nearest child's foot. The ice held firm.

Elsa straightened.

"Make the change," she said. "I will face Borias, and I will face Maxmar. I will fight them both at the same time. The gods will get their show."

The satyr cast her a dark look.

"As Your Majesty wishes," he said. He summoned another satyr who scribbled the change in a scroll and then disappeared quickly.

The young man in the sling hobbled up beside Elsa.

"I'm not sure you should have done that," he said. "I've never seen them change a fight before. Gods are quick to rage when they don't get what they want."

"Let them rage," Elsa said. "What are they going to do, dispose of me?" There was much she did not know about this world, but one thing she did know was the one thing she'd been hearing about since she arrived: her worth as an elemental queen.

The armored satyr stepped back to his place in front of the exit archway.

"Queen Elsa of Arendelle vs Borias of Egren vs Maxmar of Ostia," he called.

Elsa stepped forward and stood before the satyr. The children were still in place behind her, frozen from the legs down.

"Good luck," said the nearest child, a boy of about seven in a chainmail hauberk draping him like a blanket. Elsa turned her head to barely glance at him in the corner of her eye.

"Thank you," she replied. Not that she would need any luck.

"Go on," the satyr said and stepped aside.

Elsa brushed past him. The exit tunnel ran up and up to the world above. The end of the tunnel was little more than a small spot of sunlight in the distance. Elsa walked on, one foot in front of the other, a steady but numb march.

She had bought those children some time, but how much? If they didn't fight now they would just be sent to fight later in another battle, possibly one more gruesome. But she could not think of that now.

She trudged up the slope, listening to the gentle swishing echo of her dress. The tunnel was dark and cool. The sounds of the arena became louder. Thunderous cheers, hundreds of gods thirsty for the sight of mortal blood.

She came to the end of the tunnel. The sunlight outside was blinding. An iron gate closed off the tunnel exit. She approached the gate and stood with her hands folded. She didn't have to wait long for the gate to raise, the rusty chain links jangling one by one.

Elsa took a breath and stepped out into the sunlight. A deep voice announced her name to the masses.

"Queen Elsa of Arendelle!"

The cheers were mixed with an audible amount of boos from the gods who had been looking forward to seeing children melee.

The arena was round and approximately one hundred yards in diameter. There were no additions of any kind that Elsa could see. No obstacles, no traps, no hiding spots. Above the arena, the four enormous stone titans gazed down.

The gods in the seats were as varied as they were numerous. As Elsa looked out across them, she realized that she was no longer small compared to them. It made sense for events like this. Gods wouldn't be able to see two tiny mortals very well, so the mortals had to be made larger. Elsa tucked this information away for later.

On the other side of the arena Elsa could see Maxmar in full armor, his face masked by his helmet. He carried a round wooden shield and a short sword.

Borias was off to her left. He wore a full suit of mail and a great horned helmet. He was not as large as Elsa had assumed he would be. In fact, he was rather small. He stood with his hands folded on the hilt of his sword. Elsa looked at him more closely. There was something off about the way he stood slightly hunched.

Maxmar ran at her. The gods riled up in a fit of cheers.

"Here we go," Elsa whispered.

She waited until Maxmar was within a few yards of her, then blasted him in the chest with a bolt of ice. Maxmar's feet left the ground and he landed flat on his back. The gods roared.

Elsa was torn. She could end this fight right now, give Maxmar a clean and painless death, or give him a chance to possibly change his mind about fighting. She decided the latter.

Maxmar got to his feet and shook his head. He came at Elsa again, more cautiously this time with his shield raised.

"That won't save you," Elsa said. She froze the ground around her to form a couple of snow golems. The golems would keep Maxmar busy while she worked. She raised her arms and drew out the cold from within her. Clouds formed overhead and blocked out the sun. Snow fell in a light flurry at first, and then gained weight and strength. The gods cheered and yelled, a mixture of drunken excitement and confusion and awe as their warm sunny day turned into a frozen winter.

Snow blanketed the arena ground. Maxmar had dispatched the first golem and now trudged through the powder to deal with the second. Elsa had not made the golems very strong or smart. The golem faced Maxmar and tackled him like a bear. Maxmar sent his sword through the golem, then punched his fist through the golem's face. The golem dissolved into loose snow that covered him.

Maxmar stumbled to his feet. He pushed his helmet up to look at Elsa.

"You're a true elemental," he said, his voice nearly swallowed by the gale.

"I tried to tell you," Elsa replied.

Maxmar looked deep in thought for a moment, then pulled his helmet back down.

"It makes no difference," he said. "I'll be the first to kill an elemental!" He raised his sword and charged at Elsa. Elsa raised a ridge of ice just tall enough to trip him. Maxmar stumbled and fell and lost grip on his sword. The gods laughed.

Elsa backed away.

"You're joking, right?" she asked. "You know I could kill you right now." She formed a wall of ice around herself. Maxmar rose up and grabbed his sword. He glared at Elsa through the ice.

"It takes more than power to kill someone," he said. "It requires strength. Only one of us will leave this arena, and I can tell it's not going to be you."

He turned his back to her and headed towards Borias who had yet to move from his spot.

Elsa shattered her ice wall and watched him go.

"I have strength," she said.

Maxmar approached Borias. Borias shuffled backward and struggled to heave up his sword. Maxmar kicked him in the chest and Borias fell back against the snow. His helmet came off and revealed an old man with barely a wisp of white hair.

Maxmar laughed.

"This is Borias of Egren?" he said. "Maybe it's Borias of Murot I was thinking of. I was expecting some barbarian!"

Borias rolled to the side and slowly climbed to his feet.

"Come on then," Borias shouted. He grabbed his sword in both hands and swung it at Maxmar. Maxmar swayed back from the blade and smiled. Borias lunged and Maxmar side stepped him, bringing his sword down against the old man's back. Borias fell forward and the gods roused with laughter.

Elsa had seen enough. She hit Maxmar's sword with a bolt of ice and sent it flying tip over hilt into the wall of the arena. She encased Maxmar in ice up to his neck. Maxmar yelled out from the cold and fought to free himself.

"You're walking a thin line, Queen," Maxmar shouted as Elsa came towards him. "If you don't kill one or both of us soon, the gods are going to dispatch any manner of hellish beast to liven things up. Here, if you free me I will kill Borias for you and then you'll only have to kill me. We'll make a show of it!"

Elsa turned her back to Maxmar and looked at Borias on the ground in front of her. Borias had rolled onto his back but it was clear he did not have the strength to rise up again under the weight of his armor. The cheers from the gods dwindled as they grew restless.

"No," Elsa said. "You would butcher this man with your blade. I can at least offer him some small amount of mercy."

She knelt beside Borias and placed her hands against his cheeks. Borias looked at her with tired eyes.

"Thank you, Snow Queen," he said.

Elsa froze him. His skin turned blue and solid and his eyes frosted over. In a matter of moments the frost consumed him to the core, stopping all vital functions at once.

Maxmar scoffed.

"You're not going to win any favors taking lives like that, elemental or not, " he said. "You're here to be entertaining, not merciful."

Elsa rose and kept her back to him.

"I'm here because I was taken from my home against my will," she said. "Maybe this is paradise for warriors like you, but for me and most of the other mortals I've seen, this is hell."

"Then let me go and I will kill you mercifully as you did to Borias," Maxmar said. "I was right when I said you have power but no strength. This will never get easier for you. Your goddess will fight you over and over against anything she wishes. Whatever problem she has with another god, it's now your responsibility to deal with here. And supposing the god she takes an issue with has a child as their mortal? What will you do? Can you kill a child? I can, and I have."

Elsa thought of the children in the holding area.

Maxmar continued. "And don't go thinking that your mercy killings will carry you far. The gods want a show. If they see you killing other mortals so easily they'll just fight you against greater and greater monsters until they find something that makes you struggle. Be honest with yourself, Elsa. You don't have what it takes to exist here. You said so yourself that this is hell for you. So allow me to end it for you here and now. Let me go and-"

A blade of ice severed Maxmar's head from his body. The head thudded into the snow. Blood spilled out from the top of the neck and drained down over the body that was still encased in ice.

Elsa lowered her hand. She brought an end to her snowstorm. The clouds dissipated and sunlight returned to the arena.

The gods rose from their seats in raucous joy. Those with favors threw them into the arena: gold coins, flowers, jewels, necklaces, and all other manner of fine trinkets. Elsa ignored them all as she strode briskly back to the gate she had entered from. She kept her eyes locked straight ahead and tried not to think of anything. She just had to get away from place.

Halfway down the tunnel she slowed and leaned against the cool stone wall. Her chest felt heavy. She couldn't breathe. She placed her hand on her chest and closed her eyes as she gasped for breath. Everything Maxmar had said was true. Lira's battles were hers to fight now. This would never end. Her future would be filled with the killings of others who had never done anything to her.

She couldn't do this. She could not be in this place. She looked behind her at the arena, then ahead of her at the holding area where the armored satyr stood waiting. Where could she go? What could she do? She could not go against the gods and their ways. She had powers, and yet she was powerless.

"Queen Elsa," the satyr's gruff voice echoed up at her.

Elsa touched her forehead to the wall.

"I told them I would return," she whispered. "I will return...I _will_ return somehow."


End file.
